Sumainyo ang Kapayapaan
Can Peace be Dispensed? Searching for the Probable Meaning of the Peace Greeting in the Context of the Religious Violence in John 20
From: Landas Vol. 37 No. 1 (2025)
Abstract
Sumainyo ang kapayapaan is a formal translation of the peace greeting in John 20. But does the Filipino, specifically the Tagalog translation, capture the intent of the Gospel writer? The evangelist seems to be saying that he intended more than a peace greeting when he employed on three different occasions in the passage as mentioned above, "Peace be with you." The literary structure of John 20 provides hints that the author is considering other functions for the peace salutations, such as an exhortation to the frightened disciples to be courageous.